


Flowers & Rainbows

by EmeraldLight



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Anal Sex, Angst, Coming Untouched, Copious Amounts of Cum, Daddy Kink, Falling In Love Way Too Quickly, Florist!Shiro, Gay Disaster Shiro (Voltron), Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Injury, M/M, Student!Lotor, overprotective keith, secret keeping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:48:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23795644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldLight/pseuds/EmeraldLight
Summary: Shiro brings a younger man to bed with him, desperate for some sort of connection. Expecting a one night stand, Shiro gets a lot more than he bargained for. And he hopes it will never end.Lotor wants to know why Shiro's single and so desperate for love.Shiro wants to know why Lotor agreed to be his so easily.
Relationships: Lotor/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ScarlettFAngell](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarlettFAngell/gifts).



Shiro groaned, settled back against a mound of pillows as he slid his hands over the soft, smooth hips of the younger male moving on top of him, taking in every movement. The way his back arched, the way his thighs trembled each time Shiro rolled his own hips upwards and pressed himself deep inside, the way the slender fingers of one hand trailed over his slim, toned little stomach, adorned with a silver barbell and a dangling star charm, while the other one moved up over his neck and into long, white hair. But mostly, Shiro watched the waves of pleasure that washed over his partner’s face, taking in every moan, every time his breath hitched.

“I’m close…”

“Just a bit longer,” Shiro moaned, even though they had doing the long and slow for more time than most would have had patience for. They had both been teetering on the edge for a while now, but Shiro wasn’t ready for this to end, he wasn’t ready to watch this beautiful young man walk out of his life.

“P-please…”

“Just a few more…” Shiro tightened his fingers against lightly tanned hips, pulling his knees up so he could press his feet firmly into his mattress, giving himself the leverage to press deeper. The man on top of him arched, moaning loudly, slender hips rolling firmly as he continued to let Shiro set the pace, no matter how much he wanted to bounce his tight little ass hard and fast against the massive cock buried inside him.

“Please, daddy… Please let me cum!” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself, and bright blue eyes widened at the slip, horrified that his deepest, darkest desires had been spoken. Shiro, on the other hand, sucked in a sharp breath and drove his hips up rather roughly - apparently a nerve had been struck. The man on top of him cried out in response, falling forward as Shiro suddenly hammered into him at a completely unexpected pace, rocking the slender male to his very core.

“Oh fuck! Cumming! I’m cumming!” Fingers digging into Shiro’s broad shoulders, the young man surrendered himself to the pleasure, hips jerking against his will as he came hard, hot, thick ropes of cum painting Shiro’s pale chest. Under him Shiro grunted with the force of his thrusts before yanking the white haired male down hard and firm, hot, wet heat filling his partner over and over, flooding his spasming passage.

“Holy fuck… holy fuck… holy fuck…” Half aware that he was suddenly drooling, the lightly tanned male allowed himself to sink down against Shiro’s strong chest, ignoring the mess spreading between them. Shiro eased his fingers off slender hips and curled his arms around the younger man, holding him close and sliding his hands over his back.

“That… was… holy fuck…” Another soft moan left pink lips, the boy nuzzling his face against Shiro’s neck, heart still racing, hips still twitching.

“You were amazing,” Shiro smiled, eyes closed as he basked in the moment, enjoying the feel of the soft, warm body laying on top of him. Both males let out a soft groan as Shiro’s softening length slipped free, leaving the other male empty and needy.

“Me…? You just made me cum so hard I almost blacked out…”

“I still think I got the better end of the stick,” Shiro told him, still trailing his fingers over his back, fingertips teasing alone the boy’s spine. “I got to watch you on top of me, riding me so sweetly… You’re so beautiful.”

“You say silly things…”

“I only speak the truth, but maybe I’m just being a bit sappy,” Shiro spoke honestly. “Just give me a bit more time, please? I just want to pretend for a little while longer. You don’t have to say anything, just… let me hold you…” Shiro felt the other man’s breath hitch and he held his own breath, waiting for the boy to scramble off him, knowing he should have kept his mouth closed. There were several moments of awkward tension before the young man relaxed back against Shiro’s chest, nuzzling into his neck yet again.

“Anything you want, daddy…” Smiling against Shiro’s neck, he shifted himself so he could get even more comfortable, still splayed out on top of the larger male like some sort of koala. “Do… you want to know my name?”

“Do I get to know your name?” Shiro opened his eyes, glancing down at the boy. “I mean, aren’t names something you only exchange if you’re, I don’t know, looking for more than just a one night stand.”

“Pretty sure that’s not what you’re looking for, is it?”

“And if I wasn’t? I’m older than you, I picked you up--”

“In the park, where I was playing volleyball,” the other man broke in. “Not at a bar, not on a street corner. I’m not a hooker, I’m just a boy who got swept into the arms of a really, really hot guy.” When he lifted his head, one arm braced on the bed to hold himself up, he couldn’t help but blush as Shiro cupped his cheek, leaning into the gentle touch.

“Takashi Shirogane, but I go by Shiro.”

“Lotor Dhyzus.”

“I’m twenty four.”

“Eighteen.”

“I own the flower shop we’re currently laying above.”

“I’m considering university, but have no idea what I want to take.”

“Can I keep you?”

“Please.”


	2. Chapter 2

Keith frowned as he pushed open the door to the apartment he shared with his older brother, taking note of the way Shiro had kicked his shoes off as though he had entered the apartment in a rush. Shiro was normally very finicky about keeping the entry tidy, so it was strange to see his black and white shoes off the rack. Even more unusual was the pair of purple shoes laying just as haphazardly in the entry, making Keith’s frown deepen. Shiro never had people over… that just wasn’t how his brother functioned. Keith had people over off and on, Shiro really didn’t mind and seemed to enjoy having a full house, but Keith couldn’t recall a time his brother had someone over. Not since…

“Shiro?” Keith kicked his own shoes off and bent to collect all three sets of shoes, placing them on the built in shoe rack beside the door. Making his way fully into the apartment, Keith wondered if perhaps he should have stayed at work, judging by the clothes leading towards Shiro’s bedroom.

But that couldn’t be right. Shiro didn’t date, let alone have a boyfriend, let alone have sex. It had been four years now, and Shiro had spent those four years shying away from attention, deflecting advances. His brother was attractive and garnered a lot of looks from all types of people, and it didn’t help that he had a great smile and worked in a flower shop. Everyone saw big, happy, innocent Shiro.

Opting to simply ignore the mess, Keith made his way into his bedroom to strip down, shower the grime of work off himself, and put on something comfortable. Specifically, a pair of low riding sweat pants and a tank top that was a bit too short and offered up a delicious glimpse of his tight stomach and v-line. Not that anyone was around to see it, but just because he worked in a flower shop didn’t mean Keith didn’t take pride in his body.

Besides, that cute courier boy seemed to like the way he looked, especially his ass.

What Keith wasn’t expecting was to come out of his room to find a partially dressed person in his kitchen, bent over in front of the refrigerator, thighs spread, lower half only covered by a pair of lacey amethyst colored cheeky boy shorts. The oversize shirt the person was wearing had slid up, exposing lightly tanned skin and what looked to be a rather intricate spinal tattoo, and as they stood up, the t-shirt hung off one shoulder.

Blue eyes went wide and the person, the boy that looked to be Keith’s age, squealed in surprise when he turned around, carton of orange juice in hand, and saw Keith across the room. He startled enough that the carton slipped from his hand and hit the floor, the cap loose and the force of the fall causing orange juice to spray upwards at quite the velocity, splattering all over the white haired man.

“Holy shit,” Keith said, eyes wide as well, both from the view he had been gifted, and from the surprise he had caused. The two stared at one another, even as orange juice dripped from the tip of the boy’s nose and speckled his exposed collarbone and shoulder.

“I… Shiro didn’t say he, uh, lived with anyone…” The boy squirmed a little, curling his fingers around the hem of the shirt - Shiro’s shirt - and tugging it down over slender thighs, trying to cover himself.

“I’m his brother… and you are…?”

“Did you get lost, baby?” Shiro all but bounded out of his bedroom, towel around his hips and smiling larger than Keith had seen in years. “The apartment isn’t that big!” Shiro embraced the boy from behind and hooked his chin over his shoulder, only then taking notice of Keith staring at the two.

“Oh! Keith! You’re home early!”

“I’m actually about an hour late,” Keith said. “We had a big order so I stuck around to help out.”

“What? Really?” Shiro frowned and glanced over at the clock on the stove, eyebrows lifting, followed by a brilliant blush spreading over his cheeks. He hadn’t realized that he and Lotor had spent that much time in bed, though the reminder had him pressing his hips against Lotor’s tight backside without even thinking.

“Going to introduce us, Shiro?” Keith asked, hooking his thumbs in the waistband of his sweat pants, causing them to ride a little lower. His brother flushed even more, arms still wrapped around Lotor’s slender waist, chin resting on his shoulder. Yet another thing Keith hadn’t seen in way too long.

“Right! Right, right, right.” Shiro cleared his throat and stood properly, not that Lotor was all that much shorter than him. One hand resting on Lotor’s hip, Shiro motioned between the two,

“This is my younger brother, Keith. He helps me run the store downstairs, and honestly, I’d be lost without him.”

“He’s not lying,” Keith snorted. “He loves that I’ve finally graduated and can work more.”

“This,” Shiro continued, “is Lotor.”

“A new friend?”

“Seriously?” Shiro deadpanned. “He’s running around half naked and you get /that/ from all of this?”

“What am I supposed to think, Shiro? I haven’t seen you even glance at someone since--”

“Why are you sticky, Lotor?” Shiro had no desire to have this conversation in front of the boy he had just thoroughly fucked and then blurted out his desire to keep.

“Oh!” Lotor blushed, looking down at where he stood in a puddle of orange juice, wiggling his bare toes. Shiro’s gaze followed Lotor’s, though it was the sight of sparkly purple nail polish adorning said toes that made Shiro smile.

“I scared him and he dropped the orange juice, and I guess someone didn’t put the lid on correctly,” Keith said, rolling his eyes. “I’m not cleaning that up, by the way.” Shiro chuckled, leaning down to flick his tongue against one of the sticky spots along Lotor’s shoulder, making the smaller male squirm.

“How old are you, anyways?” Keith frowned. “You look like you’re in high school.”

“I could say the same thing about you,” Lotor told him, stepping against Shiro’s side and tilting his head to the side, making no attempt to get away from Shiro’s attention. “I’m eighteen.”

“So am I. Well, I’ll be eighteen at the end of October…”

“I turned eighteen on January first, making me completely legal,” Lotor continued, feeling Shiro press his hips against him once again, feeling the larger man growing aroused. Of course, Lotor himself was rapidly hardening in his tight little panties, but the baggy shirt did a good deal to hide it.

“Do you really have to do that in front of me?” Keith huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and canting his hips to the side. Shiro eyed his brother for a moment before sighing, stroking Lotor’s hip through the soft material of the shirt.

“Go have a shower and get cleaned up,” Shiro told him. “I’ll come join you as soon as I’m done cleaning up this mess.” Lotor giggled, making Keith roll his eyes - where the hell did his brother picked up this boy? Lotor was /so/ not Shiro’s type, so why in the world was he running around in Shiro’s shirt, getting felt up in the kitchen?

“But you already had a shower!”

“Yes, but you’re sticky…”

“Oh for fuck sake,” Keith groaned. “Just… both of you, leave. Get out of the kitchen. Pack his ‘sticky’ ass, for that matter. I don’t want him leaving orange juice foot prints all over the floor. I’ll clean up the stupid mess.” Shiro eyed Keith before shrugging and accepting the command, scooping Lotor into his arms and carrying the giggling male back towards his bedroom. The action jostled his towel loose, leaving Keith with the sight of his brother’s naked ass as the two vanished from sight. The two bedrooms in the apartment had attached bathrooms, and were located on opposite sides of the living spaces, and Keith was incredibly grateful for that. No doubt he was going to be dealing with Shiro’s sudden and unexplainable attraction to a boy six years younger, and who looked nothing like Shiro’s previous relationship.

“I should have went to that movie with Hunk and Pidge…”


	3. Chapter 3

“Hey, daddy?”

“Yes, baby?”

Keith groaned and rolled his eyes, rubbing a hand against his face in frustration as he overheard the conversation going on in the kitchen as he got dressed in his room. It was still early, he and Shiro getting ready to head down into the shop, but Lotor’s voice from the other room made his jaw clench. Shiro had been dating the boy who was only a few months older than Keith for the last month, and already Lotor was spending more time in their apartment than he was out of it. And this included Keith overhearing the weird daddy/baby fetish the two of them seemed to have, and it sure wasn’t contained to Shiro’s bedroom. He could only hope that Shiro would get bored with Lotor, or that Lotor would get sick of Shiro being clingy, because he wasn’t sure how much longer he could handle Lotor’s presence.

“Does Keith like bacon?” Lotor was asking, and Keith paused, shirt half over his head.

“Keith eats pretty much everything,” Keith could hear Shiro chuckle. “Why?”

“I’m making pancakes, and I saw there’s bacon in the fridge, and thought you two would like it, but if Keith doesn’t eat bacon, I was going to figure something else out… I don’t think he likes me, Shiro...” Lotor’s voice drifted away as Keith felt his head spin a little - he had spent a month wishing Lotor would get out of his apartment and stop hanging all over his less-than-emotionally-stable older brother, and clearly Lotor had picked up on those feelings, and yet here Lotor was, making breakfast /and/ trying to make something Keith liked.

Taking a deep breath, Keith finished getting dressed and making his way into the main room. At least with Lotor spending so much time at the apartment, the white haired boy had a full arrange of clothing, meaning he was moving around the kitchen at seven in the morning wearing bright purple leggings, though he was still wearing one of Shiro’s oversize shirts.

“Oh, Keith! Morning!” Lotor smiled brightly, holding a bowl in one arm as he worked on making… purple pancakes? Purple chocolate chip pancakes, to be more specific, and there was a frying pan cooking bacon as well.

“Uh, morning, Lotor…”

“Do you have time for breakfast? I’m making pancakes and bacon?”

Shiro glanced between his new boyfriend and his brother, wondering how this conversation was going to go. Lotor was rather skilled in the kitchen and had been feeding the brothers for nearly his entire time with Shiro, but Keith seemed to make an effort not to eat anything the teenager made.

“That sounds great, actually.”

The smile that spread over Lotor’s face made Shiro’s stomach flutter, and he let out a soft sigh as he headed back to his own room to finish getting dressed. Lotor turned back towards the stove, humming softly to himself as he continued with the pancakes, hips swaying side to side.

“So… uh… You seem to really like Shiro…”

“Is that why you don’t like me?”

“What?” Keith’s eyebrows shot up and he nearly missed his chair as he sat down at the small kitchen table they had.

“Just because you haven’t said it out loud, doesn’t mean I can’t tell, Keith,” Lotor spoke, even though his back was turned to the other teenager. “I mean, I get it, I’m your age and I’m fucking your brother. I’m in your house, in your space, and your brother seems to really like me, that can’t be easy for you.”

“I…”

“You don’t have to tell me,” Lotor continued, plating the first purple, chocolate chip pancake and four strips of bacon before he brought it over to the table and set it in front of Keith. He had already set out utensils, cups, orange juice, butter, and syrup, so he simply offered a half smile before returning to the kitchen.

“It’s kind of complicated,” Keith sighed. “You’re the first person Shiro has really shown interest in since… since shit went down in his life. And you’re so different from the type of guys he used to be interested in, so…”

“So you think I’m using him like a sugar daddy,” Lotor finished for him. “I get that, too, especially considering the names we’ve been using for one another. I could defend myself, but I don’t think you would believe me anyways.”

“You two are just moving so quickly!”

“What’s moving quickly?” Shiro smiled as he emerged from his bedroom and padded barefoot across the apartment to rejoin the conversation. Lotor forced a smile and turned his head for a kiss, enjoying the way Shiro’s stroked a hand over his slender hip and used the other to cup his cheek.

“Summer,” Keith said quickly before digging into the breakfast laid out in front of him, slathering butter on the strangely colored pancake and all but drowning it in syrup. Lotor smiled and nodded, sliding another pancake onto a plate, followed by bacon, before handing it to Shiro.

“Eat,” he told him.

“You’re not eating?” Shiro frowned, noticing that Lotor hadn’t put down any more batter to make himself a pancake.

“I’m not hungry, that’s all,” Lotor smiled and shrugged. “I’m going to cook up the last of the bacon so you two have something for lunch today. Maybe you can make a salad or something.”

“Oh, you’re not going to be here?” Shiro settled at the table and dug into his breakfast as well, watching Lotor with a slight tilt of his head. He had gotten used to having Lotor making lunch for him, but it wasn’t like the teen was confined to the house or anything.

“Stuff to do and people to see,” Lotor said.

Lotor watched the two brothers head downstairs after breakfast, taking a few minutes to clean up his mess and wash the dishes before he slipped into Shiro’s bedroom to get changed. Tugging off Shiro’s t-shirt, Lotor tossed it into the laundry hamper before crouching and digging into the duffle bag he had that held several changes of clothes. A bulky sweatshirt, despite the summer heat, was pulled out, followed by a pair of baggy jeans, and Lotor changed his pants as well. Any other time he left the house, he had no issue wearing leggings, he loved them, but where he was going, it was best not to wear anything tight fitting.

Taking a minute or two in the bathroom to make sure all braids had been combed out of his hair - he loved having his hair in braids - Lotor pulled the white strands into a low ponytail and blew out a long breath. Baby blue eyes glanced at the set of pictures taped to the mirror, a small smile curling the corners of his mouth. Shiro had insisted in visiting the photo booth in the mall, and the pictures ranged from silly to sweet, starting with funny faces and ending with the two kissing softly.

“Sorry, Shiro… It’s easier this way… Even if it hurts for a little while… I didn’t mean to cause so much trouble…” Reaching behind his head, Lotor unclasped the necklace he was wearing, carefully settling the silver chain and dangling star pendent beside the sink. Shiro had presented him with the gift only the night before, the two admitting that they were moving much too quickly, but that it felt so very right.

Rubbing at his eyes, Lotor finished changing and packed up the last bits of his belongings before using exterior exit for the apartment, vanishing into the morning sunlight.


	4. Chapter 4

“No Lotor today?”

Keith glanced over his shoulder from where he was carefully wrapping a rather large bouquet, preparing it for its trek across town. Behind him, waiting patiently at the counter, was the absolutely decadent courier boy that Keith had been lusting over for months now.

“Sorry?”

“That white haired guy,” Lance repeated, waving a hand a little. “Our age, likes to wear leggings, all skinny and flexible?” Keith’s eyebrows lifted and he gathered the bouquet in his arms as he turned.

“Flexible?”

“You haven’t seen how flexible he is? He performs in the park most days, usually just after lunch, and it’s… impressive.”

“Performs… in the park…”

“Do you even talk to your workers?” Lance teased, holding his hands out for the flowers. “Hasn’t he been working here for a couple weeks now?” When Keith continued to look highly confused, Lance shrugged his shoulders, took the package, and bid the dark haired teenager farewell. He would have let his hips sway as he left if he had thought Keith would actually be paying attention. The brunette had gone to the same high school as Lotor, and though the boy with the strange hair had been on the volleyball team, off the court he had always kept to himself. Lance really didn’t now anything about him. It had been a surprise when, last summer, Lance had been jogging around the park and had spotted Lotor bending and contorting his body, and accepting donations.

Keith blinked and shook his head, realizing he had been standing at the counter, staring into space, long enough for Lance to simply leave. Cheeks flushed, Keith turned to check the list of orders. No rest for the wicked.

*****

The happiness that had filled Shiro, and in turn the apartment, was gone by the end of lunch when Shiro had stopped to use the bathroom and was presented with the necklace he had given Lotor sitting on his bathroom counter. Brushing his fingers over the star shaped pendent, Shiro sighed and shook his head.

“I thought I did everything right this time… Let the right person in… I guess I pushed too hard…”

Calling out to his brother and stating he was sick and needed to lay down, Shiro trusted Keith to run the shop. There weren’t any orders for that day, just basic shop keeping, so he was confident Keith could handle it. This left Shiro to gather the necklace in his hand before he backed himself against the bathroom door and slid down until he was sitting on the floor.

This was why Shiro didn’t put himself out there, why he brushed off everyone who showed him interest. He was sick of being hurt, and the people he attracted reminded him of his first boyfriend, and that hadn’t ended well at all.

Adam had been murdered in front of Shiro in a robbery gone wrong. The two of them had only been eighteen, had been dating for two years, and the incident was what had driven Shiro to become the muscled man he was today.

By the time Shiro had turned twenty, the dark haired male had gone through a variety of ‘relationships,’ all with men who looked similar to Adam - that was his type, wasn’t it? But none of those had ended well, better than Adam, but always in pain. Shiro had been humiliated, cheated on, photographed without his consent, abused… The gentle giant absolutely attracted the wrong kind of people.

That was why he had taken a chance on Lotor, the slender male nothing like Adam, or the others. Lotor was so upbeat and perky, smiling brightly as he played volleyball with several other people in the sand pit that was in the middle of the park. Shiro had immediately been drawn to him, and it wasn’t just because the volleyball had shot off in an awkward direction and slammed itself into Shiro’s face.

He had been taking a calming walk, enjoying the beginning of summer, and the volleyball game had caught his attention.

And then Lotor had caught his attention.

And then he was stumbling backwards, knocked on his backside by the volleyball that had bounced off his head. There was only a little blood, and Shiro’s nose wasn’t broken, but when Lotor had jogged over and knelt at his side, Shiro was smitten almost immediately. Lotor’s hands were gentle, one resting on Shiro’s knee, the other reaching for, but not touching, Shiro’s slowly dripping nose.

Shiro had reached out and covered Lotor’s hand with his own, grey eyes locking with pale blue as he chuckled. He accepted Lotor’s apologies easily and boldly asked the younger man to come home with him and take care of him. The rest had been history.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” Shiro muttered to himself, gripping the necklace tighter as he thumped his other fist down against the floor. Frustration and hurt was coursing through him as he let his head fall back against the door with a dull thud, eyes clenched tightly.

“How could I be so fucking stupid…”

*****

When Lotor didn’t make an appearance for dinner, and Shiro didn’t leave his bedroom, Keith knew something was up. He and his brother were always very respectful when it came to personal space, but Keith knocked on Shiro’s door softly when nine o’clock rolled around and he hadn’t heard so much as a rustle from his brother’s side of the apartment.

“Shiro?”

No answer came, and Keith frowned, curling his fingers around the door knob as he called out again, this time a little louder. Still nothing. Worried his brother was seriously ill, Keith twisted the door knob and slowly pushed the door open. Shiro’s bedroom was dark, only lit by the light that spilled in when Keith opened the door, the younger male able to make out Shiro’s large form laying face up on his bed.

“Shiro?”

“I’m fine, Keith.”

“You missed dinner,” Keith sighed, leaning against the door frame. “I know I’m not as good of a cook as Lotor, but…” Seeing Shiro flinch at his boyfriend’s name made Keith frown, and he glanced around the room, not seeing any indication of Lotor’s presence.

“What’s going on, Shiro? Did something happen?”

“Same as always,” Shiro shrugged, turning over and putting his back to his brother. “Same as always.” Keith tried to think back so he could figure out what had gone on between his brother and his brother’s new boyfriend - they had been touchy feely at breakfast, as always, and then Lotor had spoken with Keith, and then…

...and then Keith had said some choice words, Lotor had gone quiet, and then the white haired teenager had said he would be gone for lunch…

That had been the last time either Shiro or Keith had seen him, and Keith felt his pulse increase. Shiro had gone into his room at lunch, to access his bathroom, and no doubt had seen Lotor’s belongings missing. No wonder he hadn’t came back down to the shop after lunch, why he had told Keith he was sick.

“Oh… Shiro…”

“Don’t, Keith. Just don’t. You warned me, just like every other time,” Shiro was mumbling, one hand clenched tightly around the necklace, unable to put it down. “It’s just easier to be alone, to keep pushing people away. I tried letting someone in, someone totally different this time, and it still went wrong. It’s not them, Keith… it’s me…”

“Shiro, don’t say that!” Keith took a step forward, but didn’t enter into the room any further, seeing Shiro shake his head, even though he was facing away.

“Just leave, Keith… please? I’ll be back to work tomorrow, I promise.”

Keith opened his mouth to argue, or maybe he wanted to assure his brother that Lotor leaving hadn’t been Shiro’s fault, but instead he simply stepped back, nodding silently. He gently pulled the door closed as he backed away before sighing and making his way through the apartment to his own room, flicking off lights as he went.

“It’s for the best…” he tried to tell himself, voice low, even as he entered his room. “Lotor was way too young for him… It doesn’t matter that he made Shiro happier than I’ve seen him since Adam died… He was just using Shiro. Shiro deserves better. Shiro deserves someone who… makes him… smile…” Keith’s voice trailed off and he sat down heavily on his bed, hunching forward as he let out a groan.

“I’m an idiot…”


	5. Chapter 5

“You and I need to have a conversation.”

Keith hadn’t heard the bell above the shop door jingle, startled by the voice suddenly behind him and nearly making the dark haired teenager drop the glass vase he was holding. Clutching it against his chest, Keith spun to stare at the brunette male with a stern face, his heart racing.

“W-what?”

“I’ll be back when the shop closes,” Lance told him, pointing a finger. “You’re coming home with me, and we’re going to have a conversation.”

Lance turned and all but stormed out of the shop before Keith could say anything more, purple eyes wide as he watched Lance vanish from sight. There were so many questions running through his mind, making him frown for a variety of reasons. If this was the way Lance was asking him out, he wasn’t sure he wanted to accept.

The questions lingered for the rest of the day, often distracting Keith and causing Shiro to get frustrated with his younger brother, the larger male already dealing with a wide range of emotions. When Lance arrived only minutes before closing, Shiro had yanked the broom from Keith’s hands, shoved money into one of his pockets, and shoved Keith out the door without any words. Lance lifted an eyebrow in question before shrugging and offering a helmet out towards Keith.

“Here, put this one.”

“Uh…” Keith frowned, looking at the black helmet being placed in his hands. When he looked up, Lance was striding towards a flashy blue and silver bullet bike, and Keith quickly remembered how Lance completed his deliveries.

“Hurry up already,” Lance told him, straddling his bike before reaching for his own helmet. “It’s going to storm and I really don’t think you want to be caught in the rain.” Keith stared for a moment before nodding and moving forward, allowing Lance to check that his helmet was on correctly before he took a seat behind the slender brunette. Unable to really hear one another, Lance reached back and pulled Keith’s arms around his waist, encouraging to hold on before they were streaking through traffic.

If he hadn’t been so confused about what was going on, and where he was heading, Keith would have been incredibly giddy - he had been dreaming of this for months! He was finally getting to wrap his arms around Lance, feeling how the teenager was slim but under his somewhat baggy clothing was a firm stomach, and Keith had a feeling he was going to be dreaming about this for a long time.

What he didn’t expect was to end up leaving the city and heading to the outskirts, out where people had actual yards and two story homes, and Keith couldn’t help but watch all the houses go by. He loved his apartment with Shiro, and loved his job, but to have more that just the roof top patio? Amazing.

Lance pulled into one of the driveways and carefully parked his bike along the side of the garage, waiting patiently for Keith to get off before he dismounted as well. The two removed their helmets before Lance was leading Keith around the back of the house to the back door, stepping past a variety of toys.

“Shoes off,” the brunette told him, setting his helmet, and then Keith’s, on a shelf by the door before he toed his own boots off. Keith couldn’t do anything more than obey, and follow, he and Lance descending into the basement of the house. Thinking they would be entering a stand issue basement, Keith’s eyebrows shot up when they stepped through another door and into a fully furnished basement suite.

“Whoa…”

“Have a seat.” Lance motioned towards the well worn, but incredibly comfortable looking couch as he made his way to what looked to be the bedroom and bathroom portion of the basement. With Keith sitting on the couch and watching Lance with a curious expression, the teen moved towards the bathroom and gently knocked on the door.

“Hey, I did the thing,” Lance spoke to whoever was inside. There was a frustrated groan in response before Lance turned and walked into the kitchen.

“You… wanted to talk?” Keith asked tentatively, moving to look over the back of the couch.

“Soon,” Lance said, pulling a cup out of the cupboard before glancing at Keith. “Want something to drink?”

“Sure…”

“Water? Coke? I think I even have a bottle of root beer.” Lance pulled open the fridge and peered inside as he spoke, indeed location and holding up the glass bottle of root beer, waiting for Keith to indicate that yes, he wanted it, before he grabbed the water pitcher for himself and stood up. Filling his cup and popping the top on the root beer, Lance moved to the living room and handed the bottle to Keith, though he didn’t sit down.

The door to the bathroom popped open and a lightly tanned, slender, fit body stepped out, clad only in a towel wrapped around a trim waist. It took Keith a moment to realize it was Lotor who was standing in the doorway, working another towel through his long, white hair and looking highly unimpressed.

“I asked you not to do this, Lance,” the (slightly) older male said, hips shifted to the side. While he and Lance bickered about bringing Keith to the ‘house,’ Keith’s eyes roamed over Lotor’s body, taking in the shockingly large amount of bruises that marred his skin. There was a good concentration around Lotor’s ribs and stomach, several on both arms, but the ones that made Keith’s breath catch, the ones that were the darkest, were the ones surrounding Lotor’s neck and the way a good portion of the left side of his face was bruised and swollen.

“Get a good look, Keith?” Lotor drew the dark haired teens attention, letting the towel he had been drying his hair with rest on a slender shoulder.

“I… what…”

“Go get dressed,” Lance sighed, flicking his wrist at Lotor. The teen glared at Lance before moving to the bedroom, quickly closing the door behind him. Before Keith could ask any additional questions, Lance had settled in one of the arm chairs that sat near the couch, setting his glass of water aside.

“I get that you love your brother,” Lance started. “I love my family, too. I’d do anything to protect them, so I really get it, but your brother is a fully grown man, and he can make his own decisions. You obviously have no idea what was really going on between Lotor and Shiro, because clearly you didn’t ask, you just judged, and while I can’t force you to do anything you don’t want to, I’m going to make you listen to what he has to say.”

“Why are you doing this?” Keith asked, frowning.

“Because I don’t want to date a guy who condemns someone before he gets to know them.”

“You… want to date me?”

“Well duh,” Lance rolled his eyes. “I’ve been trying to ask you out for the last year, but I kept losing my nerve. I was honestly hoping you would ask /me/ out, that’s why I kept taking the delivery jobs, even though transporting flowers on a crotch rocket is far from easy. I wanted to see you.”

Keith didn’t have a chance to expand on the conversation, the sound of the bedroom door across the room popping open, followed by Lotor padding barefoot towards the living room area. Dressed in a pair of purple leggings and a baggy t-shirt, most likely one of Lance’s, the white haired male chose to settle himself in the second arm chair, long legs tucking under his slender body.

“Shiro was the one who asked me to stay,” Lotor said bluntly, watching Keith with tired eyes. “He asked to keep me, and I agreed. I didn’t know anything about him other than we had just had some amazing sex, but he asked, and I agreed. Sure, for somewhat selfish reasons, but to also make a stereotypical teenage statement, I fell for him immediately.”

When Keith went to open his mouth and ask a question, Lance shot him a look and the dark haired teen sat back against the couch, sipping on his root beed.

“I met you, although unconventionally,” Lotor continued. “And then we went back to Shiro’s room and spent the whole night just… talking.”

“Talking?”

Lance sighed when Keith spoke, but Lotor waved him off.

“Yes, talking. Shiro told me everything, in fact. About Adam, about the other guys he’s dated, about why he’s been ignoring everyone else’s advances. And about why he chose to proposition me.”

“/Shiro/ hit on /you/?”

“Yeah, he did, but I guess you never even asked him how we met, did you? You just immediately jumped to the conclusion that I was using your brother… and, like I said, in a small way, I was. But only because Shiro offered. I told him about my home life, about…” Lotor’s voice trailed off and he lifted a hand to gently touch the slowly healing bruises on his face.

“He asked to keep me before he knew what my father was doing to me, but when I told him that I was performing in the park almost every day in a desperate attempt to save enough money to get out, he asked me to move in.”

Lance left the living room for only a few moments, pouring Lotor a glass of water and bringing it back to the other teen. Silence settled over the living room as Lotor drank, fingers stroking over the smooth glass afterwards.

“He told me that even if things didn’t work out between us, and yeah, we agreed the chances of anything coming out of our suddenly ‘relationship’ were pretty slim, even if things went bad, I would have a place in the apartment. A safe place. Or he would find me somewhere else to stay.”

“O-oh…”

“I even offered to pay rent,” Lotor said. “I mean, I don’t have all that much money, but I offered Shiro everything I had, because I couldn’t ask him to let me stay for free. Even people in a relationship share the bills, don’t they? But he wouldn’t hear of it.”

Keith watched Lotor’s face, searching for any sign that he was lying, but he found none. It only made him feel worse about making the young man leave so abruptly two weeks earlier, but he wasn’t sure how to make amends.

“You can call me stupid all you want, Keith, but the things I felt… the things I /feel/ for Shiro, even after such a short time together, those are real. But as much as I wanted to stay in a place that made me feel safe and warm, I wasn’t welcome there. And I never would be… I figured it was only a matter of time before you told Shiro that I was nothing but a money grubbing whore, and being his brother, Shiro would probably listen to you.”

“Lotor, I…” Keith sighed, settle his drink on the coffee table in front of him before he drug his hand over his face and then up into his hair, pushing it back, unsure what he could say.

“I found him in the park last week,” Lance told him. “Black and blue, huddled under a tree in the rain. Mom would have killed me if I didn’t bring him home, especially all beat up like he is.”

“You make it sound like I’m a stray puppy,” Lotor huffed.

“You kind of are,” Lance grinned.

“This isn’t my home, though,” Lotor said. “I’m just a guest here, and I’m grateful for that, but I can’t stay here forever. And not just because you only have one bedroom down here, and nothing available upstairs.” Keith’s eyebrows lifted for just a moment, realizing Lance and Lotor must be sharing a bed, as the couch didn’t look as though someone had been sleeping on it.

“I can’t say that I know what you and Shiro have,” Keith began, trying to find the words. “I didn’t know he had told you about Adam, and I didn’t know your story, so I’m sorry for that. I don’t know what else I can do, other than apologize. It’s my fault you got hurt, both emotionally and literally.” Keith motioned in the general direction of Lotor’s body, referencing the bruises both visible, and hidden.

“Get to the point already,” Lance groaned.

“Come back with me. Shiro misses you, a lot. I hadn’t seen him that happen in so long, and then I took it away from him… I want to fix that. I want to make up for what I did.”

“And tell Shiro, what? Whoopsie daisy, I was just teasing, I didn’t mean to leave and break your heart.” Lotor’s words were curt, and icy, not that Keith could blame him.

“No… I’ll tell Shiro it was my fault,” Keith nodded. “I’ll tell him what I did, even if he hates me for it. Hell, I’ll even move out and… I don’t know, I’ll find a new apartment, and a new job, and--”

“Oh for fuck sake, Keith,” Lotor rolled his eyes. “I think two drama-filled lives are more than enough. As long as you tell Shiro what happened, I’ll forgive you.”

“What?”

“What?” Lance’s surprise echoed Keith’s, staring at his new friend. “Forgive him!?”

“Of course,” Lotor said. “We’re all adults, aren’t we? If Keith can own his mistakes, why can’t I forgive him? If Shiro takes me back, I don’t want there to be any tension in the house.”

“You think Shiro won’t take you back?” Lance frowned.

“I can only hope, really. I broke his heart, after all. I could have tried to explain things to Keith, couldn’t I? I didn’t think it would have made a difference, because I doubt Keith would have believed me, but now he’s seen me at my worst.” Lotor touched a hand to a mottled bruise on his wrist, letting out a sigh.

“You love him,” Keith said, and Lotor nodded.

“I told you… I’m a stereotypical teenager, falling in love way too quickly.”


	6. Epilogue

Keith sank a little deeper into his place on the couch, letting his head fall to the side and rest against Lance’s chest. The pair were curled up together in the corner of said couch, Lance’s arm wrapped around Keith’s fit waist, holding him close. In front of them there was some sort of zombie movie playing, and while Lance and Keith were quiet interested in it, the couple curled together in a large arm chair were far less interested.

Shiro let his hands roam from Lotor’s hips back around to his firm backside, hauling their hips together as the two kissed deeply. He was vaguely aware that Keith had turned up the volume on the movie, but he really couldn’t be bothered by it. Or offended.

Lotor had been back in his life for nearly a month now, and while things had been rocky in the beginning, even after Keith had explained everything, the pair was settling into a comfortable routine. Said routine consisted of a lot of sex, usually very loud sex, much cuddling, a good deal of kissing, and Shiro falling more and more in love with Lotor each day.

“Are they always this horny?” Lance asked, resting his cheek against the top of Keith’s head. He wasn’t surprised when Keith nodded, prompting him to hug his new boyfriend closer. Neither of them were close to dropping the “L” word on one another, but that didn’t mean there were some feelings blooming there. It had only been a month, after all.

“Now you know why I prefer staying at your place,” Keith sighed, pulling his legs up and to the side, tucking them against the couch.

“Yeah… but you guys have a massive TV, and this is the newest release in my favorite zombie movie series, so…”

Keith huffed out a small laugh, sliding his hand over Lance’s arm before he laced their fingers together. He was glad that Shiro wasn’t angry at him anymore, but he was also still rebuilding the trust he had broken. At least Shiro hadn’t kicked him out, though that would have made working together rather awkward - Keith was technically a co-owner of the shop, even if Keith’s stake in the company was only enough to put his name on the papers.

“If you two start fucking out here, I’m going to dump a cold bucket of water on you.”

“No promises, Keith,” Shiro grinned, digging his fingers into Lotor’s ass and making the white haired male arch and moan, uttering something along the lines of ‘Mmm, daddy…’ which made Keith roll his eyes.

Maybe Lance would be happier to watch movies at his own place if Keith bought him a new, high tech, entertainment system with a much bigger TV. It would spare them from hearing Lotor call Shiro ‘daddy’ repeatedly.

Who knew a giant misunderstanding would result in two couples finding one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for leaving this hanging for so long! I also apologize for how short this chapter is - I seem to have lost my muse, but I really wanted to wrap this fic up. I hope you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos are welcomed, comments are awesome!
> 
> Join our [Voltron Discord!](https://discord.gg/JnC529h)


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